Cinema of Saudi Arabia
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The cinema of Saudi Arabia is a fairly small industry that only produces a few feature films and
documentaries A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in term ...
every year. With the exception of one IMAX theater in
Khobar Khobar ( ar, ٱلْخُبَر, translit=al-Khobar) is a city and governorate in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, situated on the coast of the Persian Gulf. With a population of 457,748 as of 2017, Khobar is part of the 'Triplet ...
, there were no cinemas in
Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
from 1983 to 2018, although there was occasionally talk of opening movie theaters, and in 2008 conference rooms were rented to show the comedy ''Mennahi''. Saudis wishing to watch films have done so via
satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioi ...
,
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
, or
video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syst ...
. Cinemas had been banned for 35 years until the first cinema in Saudi Arabia opened on 18 April 2018 in
Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
.
AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC and known in some countries as AMC Cinemas or AMC Multi-Cinemas) is an American movie theater chain fou ...
plans to open up to 40 cinemas in some 15 Saudi cities over the following five years. The government hopes that by 2030, Saudi Arabia will already have more than 300 theaters with over 2,000 movie screens. ''
Keif al-Hal? ''Keif al-Hal?'' ( ar, كيف الحال؟) (How are You?) is Saudi Arabia's first big-budget film, produced by Ayman Halawani (of Prince Al-Walid bin Talal's Rotana Group). Directed by Izidore Musallam, it stars Hind Mohammed, the first Sa ...
'', released in 2006, was billed as Saudi Arabia's first film; however, it was shot in the
United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia ( The Middle East). It is located at t ...
and the lead female was played by a
Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
ian. The 2012 film ''
Wadjda ''Wadjda'' ( ar, وجدة, translit=Wajda, ) is a 2012 Saudi Arabian drama film, written and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour (in her feature directorial debut). It was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature-lengt ...
'' had an all-Saudi cast and was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia. The film '' Barakah Meets Barakah'' by director '' Mahmoud Sabbagh'' was shot in Jeddah in 2015, premiered the '' 66th Berlin International Film Festival'', making it the first feature film to participate in the festival. '' Sameera Aziz'' is the first Saudi filmmaker in famous Indian cinema ''
Bollywood Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
''. Cinema of Saudi Arabia, whether locally-produced or foreign-sourced, is subject to Saudi censorship.


Films

''
Keif al-Hal? ''Keif al-Hal?'' ( ar, كيف الحال؟) (How are You?) is Saudi Arabia's first big-budget film, produced by Ayman Halawani (of Prince Al-Walid bin Talal's Rotana Group). Directed by Izidore Musallam, it stars Hind Mohammed, the first Sa ...
'' triggered a debate on the country's stance on cinemas and films. The documentary
short film A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...
directed by Abdullah Al-Eyaf called '' Cinema 500 km'' discussed the issue of banning movie theaters and the film forced the media to take up the issue and discuss it. ''
Wadjda ''Wadjda'' ( ar, وجدة, translit=Wajda, ) is a 2012 Saudi Arabian drama film, written and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour (in her feature directorial debut). It was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature-lengt ...
'' was selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for the
Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the 86th Academy Awards - the first time the country made a submission for the Oscars - but it was not nominated. It earned a nomination for
Best Foreign Film The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
at the 2014 BAFTA Awards. '' Barakah Yoqabil Barakah'' was the first feature film from Saudi Arabia to participate in the ''
Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...
''; it won a jury award at the festival.


Movie theaters

In the 1970s, there were many movie theaters in Saudi Arabia and they were not considered un-Islamic, though they were seen as contrary to Arab cultural norms. In the 1980s, there were some improvised movie halls in Saudi Arabia, most of which were in Jeddah and
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
, where
Egyptian Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt. Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to: Nations and ethnic groups * Egyptians, a national group in North Africa ** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
,
Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...
, and Turkish films were screened without government intervention. However, all these halls were closed due to the growing objections of religious conservatives during the Islamic revival movement in the 1980s. As a political response to an increase in Islamist activism, including the 1979 seizure of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the government closed all cinemas and theaters. During the cinema ban, the only public theater in Saudi Arabia was a single IMAX cinema located in
Khobar Khobar ( ar, ٱلْخُبَر, translit=al-Khobar) is a city and governorate in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, situated on the coast of the Persian Gulf. With a population of 457,748 as of 2017, Khobar is part of the 'Triplet ...
at the Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Science and Technology Center. The IMAX cinema, in operation since 2005, shows only educational films. The documentaries are mostly productions from the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
shown in Arabic, with English audio headphones available. In November 2005, a 1,400-seat cinema opened at a hotel in
Riyadh Riyadh (, ar, الرياض, 'ar-Riyāḍ, lit.: 'The Gardens' Najdi pronunciation: ), formerly known as Hajr al-Yamamah, is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of th ...
for a limited run. The cinema was open for women and children only and showed foreign cartoons dubbed in Arabic. Following the public screenings, the cinema ban was put into question as the demand for movie theaters in Saudi Arabia increased. On 11 December 2017, the Saudi Arabian Minister of Culture and Information announced that public movie theaters would be allowed by 2018. The government hopes that by 2030, Saudi Arabia will already have more than 300 theaters with over 2,000 movie screens. The first public film screening was '' Black Panther'' beginning on 18 April 2018 for five days in a 620-seat cinema owned by
AMC Theatres AMC Entertainment Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a AMC Theatres, originally an abbreviation for American Multi-Cinema; often referred to simply as AMC and known in some countries as AMC Cinemas or AMC Multi-Cinemas) is an American movie theater chain fou ...
in Riyadh's
King Abdullah Financial District The King Abdullah Financial District (KAFD) is a mixed-use financial district located near King Fahad Road in the Al Aqeeq area of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Managed by the King Abdullah Financial District Development and Management Company (KAFD DMC), ...
which was originally intended to be a symphony hall. '' Avengers: Infinity War'' began screening in the kingdom on 26 April. In May 2018, it was announced that IMAX had signed a deal with
VOX Cinemas Majid Al Futtaim ( ar, ماجد الفطيم) is an Emirati holding company based in Dubai. As of 2015, it owned and operated shopping malls, retail, and leisure establishments in the Middle East and North Africa with operations in 13 countri ...
to open at least four IMAX venues following the lifting of the cinema ban. At the time, it was also announced that VOX Cinemas intends to open 600 screens throughout Saudi Arabia over the next five years.


Video rental stores

Video rental store A video rental shop/store is a physical retail business that rents home videos such as movies, prerecorded TV shows, video game discs and other media content. Typically, a rental shop conducts business with customers under conditions and terms a ...
s started appearing in the 1980s and offered Arabic, Western, and Asian movies. By the late 1990s, the increasing number of free-to-air satellite TV channels led most video stores to close.


Saudi films

A small but growing number of films have been produced in Saudi Arabia with a Saudi cast. Notable Saudi films include: * ''
Shams Al-Ma'arif ''Shams al-Ma'arif'' or ''Shams al-Ma'arif wa Lata'if al-'Awarif'' is a 13th-century grimoire on Arabic magic and a manual for achieving esoteric spirituality. It was written by the scholar Ahmad al-Buni who wrote it while living in Ayyubid Eg ...
'' (2020) * ''Barakah Meets Barakah'' (2016) * ''Dhilal al Sammt'' (''Shadow of Silence''; 2004) * ''
Cinema 500 km ''Cinema 500 km'' ( ar, السينما 500 كم) is a 2006 Saudi Arabian documentary film and was directed by Abdullah Al-Eyaf. The film depicts the experiences of Tariq Al-Husaini, a 21-year-old Saudi movie fan despite no cinemas and are a ...
'' (2006) * ''
Keif al-Hal? ''Keif al-Hal?'' ( ar, كيف الحال؟) (How are You?) is Saudi Arabia's first big-budget film, produced by Ayman Halawani (of Prince Al-Walid bin Talal's Rotana Group). Directed by Izidore Musallam, it stars Hind Mohammed, the first Sa ...
'' (2006) * ''Women without Shadows'' (''Nisaa Bil Thil''; 2006) * ''I Don' Wanna'' (2008) * ''Shadow'' (2008) * ''Three Men and a Woman'' (2008) * ''According to Local Time'' (2008) * ''Sunrise/Sunset'' (2008) * '' Last Day'' (2008) * ''Project'' (2008) * ''
Wadjda ''Wadjda'' ( ar, وجدة, translit=Wajda, ) is a 2012 Saudi Arabian drama film, written and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour (in her feature directorial debut). It was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature-lengt ...
'' (2012) * '' Roallem (2019) *''
The Perfect Candidate ''The Perfect Candidate'' () is a 2019 Saudi Arabian drama film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour. It was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival. It was also selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for th ...
(2019)'' *'' Masameer: The Movie (2020)''


Films shot in Saudi Arabia

* ''Le Schiave Esistono Ancora'' (Italian; 1964) *''Exile Family Movie'' (Austrian; 2006) * ''
Le Grand Voyage ''Le Grand Voyage'' is a 2004 film written and directed by Ismaël Ferroukhi. The film portrays the relationship between father and son as both embark on a religious pilgrimage trip by car. The film won the Golden Astor for Best Film at the 2005 ...
'' (French; 2004) - partly filmed in
Mecca Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow ...
* ''
Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an American Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figure during the civil rights movement. A spokesman for the Nation of I ...
'' (American; 1992) - the first non-documentary to be given permission to film in Mecca * ''
Wadjda ''Wadjda'' ( ar, وجدة, translit=Wajda, ) is a 2012 Saudi Arabian drama film, written and directed by Haifaa al-Mansour (in her feature directorial debut). It was the first feature film shot entirely in Saudi Arabia and the first feature-lengt ...
'' (Saudi-German; 2012) * '' Barakah Meets Barakah'' (Saudi; 2016) * ''
A Hologram for the King ''A Hologram for the King'' is a 2012 American novel written by Dave Eggers. In October 2012, the novel was announced as a finalist for the National Book Award. It was adapted as a film of the same name, released in 2016 and starring Tom Hanks ...
'' (English; 2016) *''
The Perfect Candidate ''The Perfect Candidate'' () is a 2019 Saudi Arabian drama film directed by Haifaa al-Mansour. It was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 76th Venice International Film Festival. It was also selected as the Saudi Arabian entry for th ...
'' (Saudi; 2019)


Saudi directors

* Abdullah Al-Muheisen * Abdulelah Alqurashi * Mohammad Makki * Abdullah Al-Eyaf *
Haifaa al-Mansour Haifaa al-Mansour ( ar, هيفاء المنصور ''Hayfā’a al-Manṣūr''; born 10 August 1974), is a Saudi Arabian film director. She is one of the country's best-known and most controversial directors, and the first female Saudi filmmaker ...
* Yousef Linjawi * Mohammad Aldhahri * Mohammad Al Khalif * Abdulmuhsin Almutairi * Hussam Alhulwah * Mohammed Alhamoud * Abdulmohsen Al-Dhabaan * Nawaf Almuhanna * Mohammed Salman * Mohammed Albash * Mosa Althounian * Mohana Abdullah * Mahmoud Sabbagh * Gigi Hozimah * Abdulmuhsen Alquseer * Sameera Aziz


Saudi actors

* Hisham Fageeh *
Ahd Kamel Ahd Hassan Kamel ( ar, عهد حسن كامل) is an actress and filmmaker from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. She is known for her role in the BAFTA-nominated film, ''Wadjda (2014)'' and for her role as ''Fatima'' in BBC Two's Collateral (2018). Educat ...
* Fatima Al-Banawi * Hind Mohammed *
Hisham Abdulrahman Hisham Abdulrahman Alhowaish ( ar, هشام عبد الرحمن الهويش) is a Saudi actor and TV host. He won the title of the second edition of the Arab version of ''Star Academy'' in 2005. Early life Abdulrahman was born on 7 March 1980 ...
* Abdullah Al-Sarhan * Nasir Al-Gasabi * Habib Al-Habib * Yusof Al-Jarrah * Mohammed Baksh * Mushari Hilal * Reem Abdullah * Ahmed Khalil


See also

*
Egyptian cinema The cinema of Egypt refers to the flourishing film industry based in Cairo, sometimes also referred to as Hollywood on the Nile. Since 1976, the capital has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the Intern ...


References


See also

*
Censorship in Saudi Arabia Multiple forms of media including books, newspapers, magazines, films, television, and content published on the Internet are censored in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi government closely monitors media and restricts it under official state law. Changes ...
*
Cinema of the world This is a list of cinema of the world by continent and country. By continent * Cinema of Africa *Cinema of Asia **South Asian cinema **Southeast Asian cinema * Cinema of North America * Cinema of Latin America *Cinema of Europe * Cinema of Oceani ...
*
Egyptian cinema The cinema of Egypt refers to the flourishing film industry based in Cairo, sometimes also referred to as Hollywood on the Nile. Since 1976, the capital has held the annual Cairo International Film Festival, which has been accredited by the Intern ...
*
Arab cinema Arab cinema or Arabic cinema ( ar, السينما العربية, al-sīnemā al-ʿArabīyah) refers to the film industry of the Arab world which depends for most of its production on the Egyptian cinema. Overview There is no single descrip ...
*
Cinema of the Middle East Middle Eastern Cinema collectively refers to the film industries of Western Asia and part of North Africa. By definition, it encompasses the film industries of Egypt, Iran, Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, Oman, Qatar, ...
{{Saudi Arabia topics